Spring projects abound chez moi!  I’m working on so many things - some work related (writing and submitting workshop/class proposals like mad - I’ve already landed a gig at the Fiber College and have had a promising conversation with the owner of my local yarn shop to teach lace knitting this summer, started working part-time at my local library, working on things to sell on my website and around the island this summer, etc) and some creative projects for myself.  Now that I’ve pretty much shaken my second bout with that nasty bug afflicting everyone this winter, I feel a bit of my energy returning.

I’ve been working in the evenings on the Bee Fields shawl (designed by Anne Hanson of Knitspot).  I’ve had the yarn (from the Woolen Rabbit) in my stash waiting for a special project.  The colour is called Sweetheart.  I’m so excited by the way it is turning out.

I’ve also been working on my own personal sheep to shawl project.  I keep a stash of Cormo to spin - it’s my favorite fiber.  I spin it up to make baby sweaters, scarves, etc., to give as gifts. It’s so soft and very easy to spin.  Usually I spin it up as a three-ply in-between fingering and worsted weight.  For my shawl, I’m spinning a very fine 2-ply laceweight.  What I’ve learned about this fiber is that it is easy to “strangle” or overspin, especially laceweight singles.  I’ve done numerous mini skeins and found that if I keep the ratio low and relaxed, use a modified long-draw for the singles and ply it using the same ratio, but with a bit more twist, the finished yarn sets up beautifully.  Cormo has a beautiful natural crimp that makes for a very forgiving yarn.

I don’t know exactly what pattern I’m going to use - whether I’ll design something myself or use another designer’s pattern.  I do know that I want to make either a stole or a triangular shawl.

And since I’m obsessed with all things lace lately - I’ll show you what I bring to my spinning group.  Behold, my portable spinning apparatus……

Cormo (of course)/silk roving from Foxfire Farms purchased on my trip last fall.  I think I’ll have just enough for a scarf.  This one I’ll design myself.  I’m cruising the stitch dictionaries, looking for inspiration.  I don’t know if I’ll keep it, or sell it….. We’ll see - I’m thinking too far into the future, and my life’s experience has taught me that that is never a good idea for me.

I’ve also been washing quite a lot of raw fleece procured from a friend of mine who raises sheep (on an organic farm that is totally off the grid - so efficient!).  The wool comes from her Jacob sheep.

I have already carded and spun some of the mixed color.  This is a 2-ply worsted weight, crocheted and stuffed with a mix of raw and washed fleece (raw fleece is better than catnip) cat toy called Wooly Mouse.  He is Jack’s absolute favorite toy.

Oh, and speaking of Jack…. all this activity has really tired him out:

The urban farm is still in the planning stages.  Here is what I have to work with:

My landlady is giving me 8 troughs, which I’ll use to build raised beds here.  I’m thinking of growing peas, kale… all the stuff I listed in my previous post.  Inside I have four southern exposure windows where I want to put up shelves and grow my seasoning, medicinal, and dyepot herbs.

I continue to work 3 mornings a week at a small non-profit, spin and knit socks for friends, plan my art exhibit this coming September (searching for inspiration right now….), teach French, bake bread, plan a fiber festival on the island for next May, continue my research on wind power,  and all the other things I’ve taken on …..

Sheesh!  I might need a nap like Jack now…..

Come this September, I will be teaching two classes at the Fiber College.  Details to come, but I’ll be teaching Let Them Wear Socks and Contemporary Papermaking: Watermarks.  (I’m so excited!)

Out of Sorts Press has a new website.  It’s full of basic information about letterpress printing and has some nice animated features.  Enjoy!

During the initial consultation the client requested a closure of some kind, and I proposed a magnetic enclosure. I found a small (1cm) disc magnet at my suppliers. You get a dozen for around $5, and I thought it was reasonable - I would be able to make 6 closures (it takes two per closure). My thought was to embed the magnets in the board and so I proceeded to dig out a magnet-size hole. As you can see it worked! What I didn’t realize was that the magnets wouldn’t be strong enough to attract each other through two thicknesses of leather and some marbled paper.

Well, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t panic, and I did the only thing that I could think of - I called the vendor. Now at this point you should know that when I’m upset or nervous I ramble, ramble, ramble, ramble. I amaze even myself with my ability to string sentences together without pausing for breath - eventually I become dizzy because of the lack of oxygen and my speech slows down.

It was at this point that the unfortunate person on the other end of the phone told me he would get someone on the phone who could help me. *&^$%@#!!!!! I had to explain my plight all over again to someone new - and just when I was gaining this person’s sympathy (not!!). To his credit, the new customer service person didn’t let on that I would be a water cooler story later that day and tried to help (he recommended I test the too-many-layers theory). After I hung up with him, I went into the studio to solve the problem. I used 100% PVA to paste a third magnet over the top of the one embedded in the flap, and all was well.

Click on the photos to enlarge:

No, this is not a diatribe for prayer in public schools! Rather I’ll be showing you how I constructed the case for the prayer book I was commissioned to recase (it was a recase, not a rebind, which involves resewing the spine). Click on thumbnails to view full size, and please excuse any freaky formatting - still working out that bug!

Here is the offending case matter -

I knew I wouldn’t be able to use the boards from the original case. As you can see the leather (bonded, in this case - ha! double entendre - tag, your it!) had degraded and the binders board underneath was scuffed. Also that tape was not easily liberated from the spine and boards. I thought recasing using new boards would be best to preserve the text block and give a second life to a well used book. My client wanted a closure along the fore edge, and we decided on a fold over flap with magnetic enclosure.

I made my measurements, cut out the pieces, marked them and laid them out in sequence.

After measuring for the proper length and width to cover the case, I cut the leather (used a high quality bonded leather for speed and ease - I only had 24 hours to complete the job, and paring leather in a painstakingly meticulous job best not hurried) and glued the boards down using a rule for spacing.

Then I cut corners and other turn-ins and glued the pastedowns, and placed the case flat in a makeshift table-top press.

In about an hour, I was able to pull the case out. Here it is inside and out.

And, of course, the glamour shot. I embedded some magnets in the flap and front cover (I’ll discuss that step in a future post).